Schmucko (@schmucko.bsky.social)

Hava Mendelle: Antisemitism in Australia, the Gaza Flotilla & Why She Left the Activist Left Hava Mendelle defies easy categorisation. Openly gay and proudly Jewish, she is a fifteen-year Australian Army veteran, emergency department nurse, published author, and co-founder of Minority Impact — a coalition of Australian minorities united in their opposition to Islamic radicalism and far-left extremism. She writes for The Spectator Australia, The Times of Israel, and The Jewish Independent, and has been making waves on social media for her unflinching commentary on antisemitism, the activist left, and the slow erosion of Australian national identity. In this conversation with Quillette's Zoe Sankey, Hava traces a remarkable personal journey — from an orthodox Jewish childhood and boarding school in Israel, to climate activism and Marxist study groups at university, to her current role as one of Australia's most clear-eyed critics of the movements she once moved in. They discuss the red-green alliance, the activists behind the Gaza flotilla, the radicalisation of the Australian Greens, why the United Nations deserves far more scepticism than it receives, and what October 7th changed — for Hava personally, and for Jewish Australians more broadly. 00:00 Introduction and First Impressions 04:50 Hava's Background and Identity 08:11 Exploring Gender and Sexuality 11:00 Military Service and Its Impact 13:40 Climate Activism and Political Involvement 16:15 Shifts in Activism and Ideology 20:08 The Activist Movement's Shift 22:09 Interconnectedness of Climate and Palestine 24:18 The Dangers of Dogma in Activism 25:52 Free Speech and the Right to Question 27:25 The Rise of Anti-Semitism and Islam's Influence 29:26 The Red-Green Alliance and Its Implications 31:00 The Challenge of Questioning Dogma 33:02 Critique of the United Nations 34:53 The Impact of October 7th on Jewish Identity 37:30 The Complexity of Nationalism and Conspiracy Theories 43:46 Exploring Anti-White Racism and DEI Training 46:01 Cultural Integration and Multiculturalism 47:52 Minority Impact and Political Activism 50:41 The Sumwood Flotilla and Radical Narratives 55:19 Identity Crisis Among White Individuals 57:53 Feminism, Motherhood, and Societal Expectations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZgQiI3_34w